Psilogramma Hawk Moth (Sphingidae Sphinginae Psilogramma increta - (Walker, 1865)

Found the two green ova below on November 20, 2002 on Oleaceae Ligustrum sinense next to a housing estate on Cheung Sha Wan Road in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong.  About two weeks previously, one final instar and two penultimate instar larvae of P. menephron were found on the same LFP in the same vicinity.


The two ova were 2 mm diameter.
Three days later, they formed an equatorial color band.
They hatched about 10 hours apart.


This  larva emerged on November 24, 2002;  about 4 mm /0.16 inch long.


Five days later on Nov 29, 2002.
The 2nd instar larva was 21 mm / 0.8 inches long (not counting the tail spike).
Note the color change of the tail.


The 3rd instar, Dec 8, 2002.
The larva was 5.1 cm / 2 inches long at this stage.
Note the brown lateral spotting; this is absent on P. menephron.


The 4th instar stage, Dec 13, 2002; length was 7.3 cm / 2.9 inches
Note the dark tail spike; P. menephron has a pale green spike.


The prepupal larval form; Dec 17, 2002.
The larva burrowed in soil provided.


The pupa was about 5.1 cm / 2 inches long.
Pupation occurred about 4-5 days after the above color change.
The shorter "tongue tube" marks this certainly as a different species from P. menephron.

The moth has not yet eclosed.

* Enlarged view of the moth in rest position.
 

* Top and Underside views of moth;
* Wingspan is about 102 mm / 4 inches
 

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kilroy
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